Guinea

Visitors are strongly recommended not to travel to the borders with Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. The civil war in Sierra Leone ended in 2002 and the country is now largely trouble free. For further information seek official advice.

The Republic of Guinea is located in West Africa and bounded by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The River Niger flows north from the southern highlands into Mali before turning south again through Niger and Nigeria. The coastal plain is made up of mangrove swamps. In the northeast, savannah plains of the Sahel region stretch into Mali. To the south are mountains known as the Guinea Highlands. Guinea’s main attraction to tourists is its relatively undisturbed countryside. Its landscape varies from mountains to plains and from savannah to forest. The capital, Conakry, is located on the island of Tumbo and connected to the Kaloum Peninsula by a 300m-long (984ft) pier. The city is well laid out, its alleys shaded by mangrove and coconut palm trees. One dish visitors are likely to be offered is hot maize soup, served from calabashes. Guinea has a strong music tradition and Conakry, in particular, is a dynamic centre for music. The singing of the Kindia people is especially renowned.